Last week I asked a question about phone tapping and the investigation into it. I asked the Minister for Posts and Telegraphs if he had received a final report from the study group which investigated allegations by the General Secretary of Fine Gael about phone tapping. It had been the subject of numerous Parliamentary Questions in the autumn of 1980. The Minister's reply was:
The report of the detailed examination of the complaint made was received. It was not possible to establish by whom or in what circumstances the overhearing complaint had been carried out.
I submit to the House a letter sent to me when I was Minister of State in the Department of Posts and Telegraphs. Deputy O'Keeffe, now a Minister of State, wrote the letter to me. The letter is dated 8 March, 1981. He wrote:
Dear Sir,
For some time past I have been investigating on behalf of the Fine Gael Party the tapping of phone conversations of Peter Prendergast, our General Secretary.
That, I suggest, is not overhearing. I am aware that Mr. Prendergast, now a senior adviser to the Government at an astronomical fee, made a statement to the effect that on Friday, 21 November 1980, he had two detailed important phone conversations with Mr. John Bruton, T.D., then spokesman for Agriculture on this side of the House. Mr. Prendergast said: "I now have reason to believe that both conversations were listened to by a team of people, working together, and that notes were made of specific aspects of the conversations held."
We were then in Government. While serving to the best of my ability in an honoured position in that Government, I deliberately upheld the respectability one must try to maintain for the staff of the Department of Posts and Telegraphs. I do not see the same effort forthcoming from the present outfit in that Department today. Suddenly, when they grabbed power, they changed alleged phone tapping by a team working together and notes made of specific aspects to overhearing. That does not show much respect for the staff of the Department of Posts and Telegraphs and the section of the staff working in the exchanges by people like Deputy O'Keeffe and Mr. Prendergast who now assumes the honour of and the cash for an alleged job with the Government.
In November last year the public relations section of the Fine Gael outfit who were over here started on a nice little propaganda job. They started talking about culling. They said they were phone tapped. I will give the names used by Mr. Prendergast. Willie and Frank were alleged to have tapped the telephone. Then we had references by Mr. Prendergast to the fact that in that phone tap — it was not an overhearing; it was deliberate — Bruton was mentioned when he heard them whispering when he put his hand over the phone in this House. He could hear them saying, "Bruton""agriculture", "three types of culling", "this is important", "they have a programme prepared", "the price fixing mechanism", "there is no tone on it now". That means Mr. Prendergast had discovered that Willie and Frank were listening.
Later we discovered two ladies were accompanying Willie and Frank. I could not describe to this House the words described by Mr. Prendergast in his statement which I read and of which I was careful to keep a copy. Some of them were four letter words which I do not use. Suddenly we discovered another fellow called Gerry McMahon. I may seem to be funny in the way I present this but it is not my fault. An intensive Garda investigation was pursued, according to Deputy O'Keeffe.
